Upfront summary: How reputable is Vivid Seats?
Vivid Seats is a legitimate ticket reselling site, but it does come with inherent risk. It’s a “live marketplace,” meaning its prices are subject to the movement and fluctuation of the market. Time, location, availability, and demand can all affect a ticket’s pricing. Vivid Seats offers a 100% buyer protection guarantee effective immediately after purchase. However, the service can be unreliable, which could make some buyers wary.
Ticket resellers like Vivid Seats can offer amazing deals on hard-to-find or sold-out events, making them a great option when traditional purchasing sites have sold out. Is it worth it, though? This article will give you the lowdown on what you’re getting when purchasing a ticket through Vivid Seats.
Table of Contents
- Vivid Seats Company Information
- What is Vivid Seats?
- Is Vivid Seats legal and safe or a scam?
- Is Vivid Seats reliable and trustworthy?
- Vivid Seats Shipping Info
- Does Vivid Seats have good customer service?
- How to cancel an order on Vivid Seats
- Does Vivid Seats have Promo/ Discount codes?
- Does Vivid Seats have a return policy?
- Vivid Seats Payment Methods
- The pros and cons of Vivid Seats
- Vivid Seats Careers
- Best Vivid Seats Alternatives
- Additional FAQs
Vivid Seats Company Information
| Official Website: | https://www.vividseats.com |
| Founded: | 2001 |
| Owner: | Eric Vassilatos, Jerry Bednyak |
| Location: | 111 N Canal St, STE 800 Chicago, Illinois 60606 USA |
| Customer Service Contact: | 925-206-3066, 833-228-5143 |
| Social Media | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook |
What is Vivid Seats?
Vivid Seats is an online marketplace for tickets exchange and resale. The company is one of the largest online ticket resellers in the United States, and it offers deals to the public on an enormous number of different events.
Through the use of professional ticket resellers and individual sellers, Vivid Seats acts as the gateway for connecting fans to spectacular and memorable live events and experiences, such as concerts, theater productions, sporting events, music festivals, shows, and many more.
Although the risk of purchasing a fake ticket is a concern in all online reseller sites, Vivid Seats tries to give buyers peace of mind by screening all sellers and guaranteeing the product, but the buyers must accept a level of risk by using the platform. If the buyer agrees with the risk and is willing to be flexible with seating options, they can sometimes get a killer deal.
Is Vivid Seats legal and safe or a scam?
Vivid Seats is an entirely legal company and has been in business successfully for over 20 years. It is only available for United States residents. Although they tout their Buyer Guarantee program, customers have reported purchasing fake tickets or receiving e-tickets when physical tickets were required. This mistake happens frequently, based on customer reviews, and the customer service to correct these mistakes seems shoddy at best.
There doesn’t seem to be any reports of viruses or malware associated with the Vivid Seats website or complaints of stolen data; however, it’s also best to apply due diligence and caution when using online reselling websites like Vivid Seats. As with many other sites, you may experience pop-ups and ads on Vivid Seats, but do your research before entering your card information on those ads.
Is Vivid Seats reliable and trustworthy?
On the whole, the customer reviews for Vivid Seats are pretty bad. There are many complaints about the unreliability of their Buyer Protection program, poor customer service, non-delivery of tickets, and wrong ticket type delivery, among others.
The Buyer Protection program offered has loopholes the company can use to avoid reimbursing the buyer, making it difficult to receive a refund.
Vivid Seats customer reviews are as follows:
- Consumer Affairs – 2.7 / 5 stars (2,604 ratings)
- Site Jabber – 4.14 / 5 stars (2,143 ratings)
- Reseller Ratings – 3.7 / 5 (8,825 ratings)
- Revain – 4.2 / 5 (14 ratings)
- Glass Door – 4.1 / 5 (379 ratings)gs)
- Trust Pilot – 3.2 / 5 (3,687 ratings)
The average number of Scam and positive reports varies based on the review sites you visit. There were very few scam complaints on Site Jabber and Reseller Ratings, and the positive reviews outweighed the negative. On other review sites, customer service/ scam complaints often went hand in hand.
Vivid Seats Shipping Info
The average shipping time varies depending on the type of ticket purchased. There are six possible delivery methods:
- Mobile e-tickets – Must have an IOS or Android phone
- Email / Instant – Must have a printer to print a physical copy of the ticket
- Physical Shipping – Once the seller has confirmed the purchase, the buyer will receive an email stating the shipment date. Tracking numbers are included with all physical shipments.
- Special Delivery – Local pickup, Will Call, Paperless. “Local Pickup” tickets are usually available on the day of the event or a few days prior.
- E-Transfer
- AXS Mobile ID
Your chosen shipment method determines your shipping cost, which is shown at the checkout point. Note – shipping time is determined from ticket availability date, NOT purchase date. Orders are tracked through email confirmation and a tracking number (physical shipping only). Currently, Vivid Seats does not offer international shipping.
Does Vivid Seats have good customer service?
Some customers report having a fantastic experience, especially when experiencing confusion on how to navigate the site. General questions also seem to be answered courteously and timely.
However, problems begin when buyers have issues with tickets not being delivered when expected or not working correctly at an event. Customers report receiving multiple excuses with no answers from each technician they’ve spoken to, rude or difficult-to-understand technicians, and even being hung up on. Overall, there seem to be more complaints about the customer service at Vivid Seats than satisfied customers.
How to cancel an order on Vivid Seats
On Vivid Seats, all sales are final. They do not allow you to cancel any ticket once you have purchased it.
Does Vivid Seats have Promo/ Discount codes?
There are various Vivid Seats promo codes and coupons available, and Vivid Seats also has a reward system that gives the buyer credits for in-app purchases, which can be used toward the ticket cost. They also allow users to collect and redeem stamps.
Does Vivid Seats have a return policy?
Vivid Seats does not offer a return policy for any purchased ticket. All sales are final. They allow you to resell a ticket if you no longer want it or have changed your mind after purchasing.
Vivid Seat Payment Methods
- All major credit cards – (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
- Google Wallet – App only
- Apple Pay – App only
- Android Pay – App only
- Paypal – Online orders only
- Paypal Credit – App only
All phone orders must use a credit or debit card, and all orders are in US dollars.
The pros and cons of Vivid Seats
Pros
- Find sold-out or hard-to-find tickets
- Different shipping options
- Easy-to-navigate website
Cons
- An unreliable Buyer Protection Program
- Possibility of receiving fake tickets
- Ticket availability is never a guarantee for an event.
Vivid Seats Careers
According to Glassdoor, 79% of employees would recommend working at Vivid Seats to a friend. Vivid Seats offers health, dental, and vision insurance, PTO, 401K matching, and retirement plans, and 51% of employees report being satisfied with their salaries.
Overall, working at Vivid Seats seems to be a satisfactory experience, and there are a decent number of job openings, both remotely and in the office. Also, it does not seem like getting a job at the company is particularly hard.
Best Vivid Seats Alternatives
Although purchasing tickets from Vivid Seats can be a hit-or-miss experience, you can find great deals at great prices if you are willing to take the chance. There are other ticket resale sites available to use. These include:
- Ticketmaster
- TickPick
- StubHub
- eBay
- Razorgator
- TicketNetwork
- TicketCity
Additional FAQs
How do I search for tickets on the site?
In the search bar on the homepage, type the event’s name or performer you would like to find. You can update the region by clicking on the location pin next to the search bar.
How do I sell tickets on Vivid Seats?
To sell tickets on Vivid Seats, click the “Sell Tickets” tab on the menu bar. Click “Sell Tickets” on the next page and enter your event into the drop bar. Once you see the event, click it and press continue. You will then need to set up a Vivid Seats account. Enter all the required information, agree to the Seller Terms and Conditions and click “Submit.” That’s it!
Does Vivid Seats charge to list my tickets?
Listing is free; however, Vivid Seats charges a 10% commission once the ticket sells.
Can I contact a seller to negotiate ticket prices?
No, Vivid Seats does not provide the seller or buyer information, and this is to protect the personal data of all parties involved.
How does the Vivid Seats Rewards Program work?
Buyers earn one stamp for every ticket purchased. Once you have received ten stamps, you will earn a Reward Credit to spend on your next order. Reward Credit is the average value of the 10 stamps, excluding taxes, and Stamps expire 24 months from their date of issuance. Those enrolled in the Rewards program also receive birthday rewards, ticket upgrades, access to events, and more!
Can I purchase multiple event tickets at the same time?
No. Since a different seller sells every ticket, Vivid Seats only allows buyers to purchase one listing per transaction. For multiple listings, the buyer must complete more than one transaction.
Is Vivid Seats flexible in changing the number of tickets in a listing?
Vivid Seats does attempt to accommodate the buyer’s desired number of tickets in a listing. The buyer must contact customer support for this action.